Child Care Program Office

Information for Parents: Child Care Resource and Referral
Services

The Department of Health and Social Services
provides funding to Alaska’s Statewide Child Care Resource and Referral
network, thread, to assist programs in providing high quality care and education for
young children. Services offered included referrals, professional development,
training, resources, and support, and lending libraries. Most services are
provided free of charge to licensed and approved child care programs. For more
information visitwww.threadalaska.org

thread also provides materials to assist families in selecting quality child care, helping children transition to a new child care program, maintaining positive relationships with child care programs and distributes information about community resources and financial assistance for families with young children.

Inclusive Care for Children with Special Needs

Some children need additional assistance in order to be included in child care. The Alaska Child Care Inclusive Program, “Alaska IN!” is administered through thread offering extra support for families to find a program to meet their child’s needs.​

The Alaska IN! program discusses the accommodations needed for inclusion in the child care program with the parent, and offers additional training and support to child care programs to help them meet the child’s individual needs. If the family qualifies for child care assistance, they may be eligible for additional funding to provide accommodations needed in order to maintain a stable consistent provider that can meet the individual needs of the child.

For more information, contact the Resource and Referral agency in your
region from the list above.

Information on Selecting Quality Child Care

Choosing child care is a very important decision for working families
with young children. Child Care Resource and Referral agencies help provide
guidance, information, and educational materials to help parents know
what to look for, what questions to ask, and what their child care options
are. Child care referrals can be provided over the phone, by mail, or
via the internet. For more information on choosing quality care, contact
the Resource and Referral agency in your region from the list above.